Grant to help Wakefield children exposed to domestic violence

Domestic abuse services in the district are to benefit from a £25,000 grant from Wakefield Community Safety Partnership (CSP) to support children exposed to domestic abuse.

During 2016/17 there were on average 628 domestic abuse incidents reported each month within the district. Children were present at almost a third of these incidents.

Wakefield CSP has made the grant to Wakefield Council’s Domestic Abuse Service, and Coun Maureen Cummings, who is chairwoman of the Wakefield CSP, which brings together partner organisations to improve outcomes for residents, said: “We know that domestic abuse is widespread and one in four women and one in six men will be affected by it in their lifetime. Sadly, children are often the hidden victims of domestic abuse but this grant will make a difference in supporting children, who have witnessed abuse and help them deal with the trauma they’ve experienced.”

The grant will pay for a worker to deliver Operation Encompass in the district which enables key agencies to safeguard and support children and young people. It includes reporting to schools the next day that a child or young person has been involved in a domestic incident the night before. This will mean that school staff are available to provide support immediately after the incident.

Wakefield CSP has also approved of £4,631 to fund a youth worker for the Stripes group, which gives support to young, lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans people in the district.